Article carrying means



March 5, 1957 G. A. LYON ARTICLE CARRYING MEANS Original Filed Dec. 29.1950 2 Sheets-heet l ..Inva niks? e arye /brf yn I (zt w@ Er a l March5, 1957 G.A.LYON

ARTICLE CARRYING MEANS Original Filed Dec. 29, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tmantar Geo/ye flerz Lyon ARTICLE CARRYING MEANS George Albert Lyon,Detroit, Micl.

Original application December 29, 1950, Serial No. 203,419. Divided andthis application February 18, 1954, Serial No. 1,149

4 Claims. (Ci. 248-318) The present application is a division of mycopending application entitled "System for Conveying and Heat TreatingStampings, Serial No. 203,419, filed December 29, 1950, now Patent No.2,689,578.

This invention relates to an article holding means for supportingarticles during movement through work performing Operations, andparticularly to an article holding means for conveying cup-shapedarticles through a liquid bath.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel articleholding means for cup-shaped articles.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide novel articleholding means accommodatng opposite tilting of the cup-shaped article.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an economicalyet rugged article holding means for securely retaining cup-shapedarticles during a series of work operations thereon.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings which illustrate a single embodiment thereof andin which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view illustrating thework carrying means of the present invention as it would be employed inmoving a cup-shaped article from one station through a heat treatingbath to an adjoining station, with certain of the work supports brokenaway so as to more clearly illustrate the remaining supports;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longtudinal sectional view similar to Figure 1but taken at the discharge end of the heat treating bath;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on substantially the lineIIl-lll of Figure 1 through the salt bath turnace and showing therelation of the conveying means thereto;

Figure 4 is a plan view, partly in section, taken on the line IV-IV ofFigure 1 looking downwardly and showing how the support diagonallycarries the cup-shaped article; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on substantially the lineV-V of Figure 4 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows andillustrating how the article is engaged by the support.

The reference numeral 12 desgnates a conveyor for transferring articlesfrom one station through a heated fused salt bath 14 to a secondstation. The conveyor 12 includes an I-beam track 19 of an Icross-section from which is Suspended a plurality of spaced articlesupports or hangers 20. 'Ihe hangers are all identical in constructionso that a description of one will sutfice for all. Each of these articlesupports includes a vertical bar 21 having Secured to its upper end ayoke 22, the spaced arms of which (Fig. 3) carry spaced aligned rolls23-23 adapted to roll along and on the lower fiange of the v track 19.

:The lower end of the bar 21 (Figs. 4 and 5) has suit- 24-25 fordetachablyreceiving and carrying the cup: shaped article or Cartridgecasing C. The arm 24 has a turned extremity 26 engaging over and insideof the outeredge of the casing at its open end. ,The other arm has itslower end formed into an eye 27 through which the cartridge casingexte'ndsythe casing testing on the lower portion of the eye. The bottomof the eye 27 has a longitudinal arm 28 with a turned extremity 29adapted to engage and abut the outer surface of the bottom of the casingC. v

It will be noted from Figures 4 and 5 that the arms 24 and 25 areconnected to the bar 21 at such an angle as to carry the casing in adiagonal position with reference to the direction of movement ordirection of the track or rail 19. This arrangement enables the articlesto be positioned in closed parallel relation and also facilitates'thefilling and emptying of 'the casings.

The support or hanger bars 21 are rigid throughout their entireextentand are all connected adjacent their upper ends in spacedvertically articulated relation for movement together along the track 19by a series of nonbuckling links 30 which are of a constructionco-operable i with any conventional drive means such as sprockets or thelike (not shown). To this end, the hanger bars 21 have rigid with theupper end portions thereof forwardly and rearwardly directed cross-armstructure a to which the links 30 are respectively'pivotally connectedabout vertical aXes. Thereby the bars 20 are enabled to move about thetransverse turns in the conveyor 12 but are held against free pivotingabout a transverse or horizontal axs.

Also it will be preceived from Figures 1 and 2 that the track or rail 19is so curved that it descends downwar'dly toward the inlet of the fusedsalt bath 14 (Fig. 1) and ascends at the outlet end (Fig. 2) of thebath. In other words, the track has an intermediate downward bend overthe top of the fused salt bath 14. By vitrue of the non-bucklingcharacter of the links 30 and the manner in which the rigid bars 21 arecontrolled by the links, the major lower end portions of the bars belowthe links will swing rearwardly as the bars move down the curveddescending portion of the track 19, whereby to tilt upwardly the openends of the casings C supported thereby, while at the ascending portionof the track the bars 20 Swing forwardly and thereby move the casings Ctoward upended position.

This arrangement is such that the articles enter the bath bottom firstand must likewise ascend out of the bath bottom first. This feature,together with the diagonal positioning of each of the articles, enablesa proper filling and emptying of the articles with heated liquid as theytraverse the length of the bath. It is very desirable that eacharticlebe completelyemptied of any of the bath liquid so as to minimize thelikelihood of the adherence of any of the salts thereto'.

The fused salt bath 14 may be of any suitable construction and include acentral container 35 for the liquid, a refractorylining 31 'and an outerbrick or ceramic material 32. The bath 33 may be made up of any suitablefused salts such, for example, as that disclosed in my own issued PatentNo. 2,059,468.

Any suitable means may be employed for heating up the fused salts tomaintain the same in heated liquid form suitable for the heatconditioning desired. The extent to which the bath is heated dependsupon the character of the steel being treated, although, forillustration, excellent results may be attained by maintaining the bathat a temperature of about 1250 F.

The time during which the casings are in the bath depends upon the sizeof thecasing and the character of the steel, although it should onlyrequire a few minutes &783362 *3 to effect the "conditonng as"distinguished 'from `hours now used in a heated atmosphere typefurnace.

Refem'ngto Figures 4 and 5 in more detail, it will be observed that 'thearticle 'carrying means of the present inventioncomprises'a flat hanger''bar`j2-1, a"first red-like arm '24having a rearwardly and downwardlyextending portion terminating in. an'inturned extremity 26 adapted forengaging in the open 'endof a cup-shaped article and having an obliqueopposite 'endjportion 40 securedto the broad face 'of the'barzl, thedownwar'dly extending portion' of` the' arm 24-eXtending obliquely tothe plane of' the bar, The article holding means also .includes a secondred-like arn25 Secured to 'thelbroad faceof the bar'21`at 'an obliquelyextending end .portion "42 and fonned 'into an eye`27 through which thecup-'shaped article 'is'adapted to extend, ,the eyehaving a longitudinalmember 28"w`ith a' turned extremity 29 adapted to abut the 'closed'endof the`;ar ticle carried at its open end. by the first arm. Bythis-means,` the horizontal orientation of the articleis eifectivelycontrolled, the lower portion 43 of the arm24 cooperating with theinturnedcextremity 26 to' retain the" open end ofthe article againstvertical movement and the eye 27 substanti allyretaining the closed endof the article against lvertical movement,-while the portion 44 of thearm 24 pr'events movement' of ,the article in one axial direction. andthe turnedvextremity 29 prevents movement' of the article in the .otheraxial direction. V,

'As se'en'in 'Figures 1, 2, 3 and 6, 'the eye27`is :of a 'somewhatlarger diameter than the VarticleCso 'thatthe open end of the articlecan' be inserted 'through the. eye 27and into'engagement with the turnedextremity 26 'whilethe closed'end is then lowered into engagement withthe turned extremity-29. Alternatively, of course, the'closd endmay beinserted through the eye`27in the oppo'site'direction riding over' theturned extremity-29 to allow the'open end of the article to be engagedwith the turned extremity 26.

`It will be understood that modifications andvvariations may be eifectedwithout departing from the scope of the nove] concepts of the presentinvention.

I claim`as my invention:

1. Article support means ,comprising a' flat ;hanger bar, a firstred-like arm having a rearwardly and downwardly extendingportion'terminating in an inturned extremity for engagng theinterierwall portion ofran open ended' cylindric al'article torsupportthearticle. at one end againstdownward movement and against axialmovement in one direction while leaving thetopen end substantiallyunobstructed, said first radi-like arm having an opposite end portion'Secured to said bar, anda second rod-like arm secured at oneend to:said bar and formed into,an'eye' througlrwhich the article ,is adaptedto ;ex-

position ofthe inturned extremity of, said first 'rod like arm'andhaving a turned-up extremity adapted to' abut the other end of thearticle whensaid article is resting in said eye and on said inturned'extremity; ther'eby preventing axial movement of the article in` eitherdirection.

2. Article supportmeans comprising a firstarnhaving a-lateral.projection for engaging'within anopen'ing -in one end ofacylindrical:article-Land .a second arm "theretdforbtting the other endof the article, said eye being of larger cross-section than said articleand the upward projection on said longitudinal extension being ofrelatively small upward extent whereby said eye and upward projectionaccommodate insertion of the article through the eye and over the upwardprojection to permit engagement of the said one end of the article withsaid first arm and accommodate axial confinement of the article betweenthe first arm and said projection after engagement of the one end withthe first arm to .thereby prevent horizontal movement 'of the articlerelative'to the said arms.

3. A hanger for a cup-shaped article of generally constant externaldiameter having an open end and a closed end, comprising a first armhaving an extremity of crosssection small in comparison with theinterior crosssection of the article 'and engaging an interier `wallportionof the ,article at the open end thereof when 'the articlej isplaced' in generally horizontal position, andja second arm carried withsaid'first arm and encircling at least a major portion of said articleadjacent the closed end `thereof. and of rigid non-expansibleConstruction to limit lateral 'or' vertical movement of the articlewithin the'secondarm, thesecond arm having a longitudinallyextendingmemberrigidly Secured to the encircling portion thereofandhavng a short upward projectionabutting the closed 'end of thearticle to prevent axal 'displacemeht of "the article ,out of engagement'withthe extremity of saidfirst arm, and means connected to said firstand second arms 'for rigidly interconnecting and supporting said arms,the encir'cling of said second arm being suliicien'tly free to permitvertically upward movement of 'said articleto a position above saidshortupward projection' to permt axial disengagement of said articlefrom the said extremity and from the hanger.

`4. In combination with a hanger bar, means for .supporting a'cylindrical article having an open end ina fixed relation to saidhangerhar comprising, a" first arm Secured to said hanger bar' and extendingacross one wall ofsaid article and turned into the open endofsaidarticle for supporting the article, against axial ?movementin'onedirection and against downward movement of said open end, a secondarm Secured to said .hanger bar and having portions extendinghorizontally and vertically for supporting the article adjacenttheotherend ,thereof againstllateraland downward movemenna third arm,Secured to-said second arm and extendinglaterally away from said firstarm and having an upwardly extending portion forengaging the other end?ofthearticle toretain the article against axial displacement .in .the.other dire'ction' without impeding upward movementof the article' to aposition above said upwardly extending portion `of the third arm ,tothereby permit disengagement of the article therefrom to permit axialmovementiof therartcle 'away-from said first arm andtherebypermit'generally axial removal of said articlefrom .said supporting means.

;ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,()82,808` Hubbard Dec. 30, '1913 1,`187,189 Shell 'June 13, 19161,'192,170 Devenny July 26, 1916 1226355 B'radley May 22, 19171,4S,O,829' Moran Jan. 15,- 1924 13415937 v Hill 'Dec. 31,1929`:13792049 Krueger Mar. -31, 1931 `11326310 Morishita Oct. 13, ^l931

